St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-30
WANT a SHOW .
The Union Pacific Gives Reasons
for Desiring a suspension of the
Fourth Section.

me union k-&CIHHC Wives 6Ga80nS
for Desiring suspension Of the
Fourth Section.
WASHINGTON, April ga long petition,
signed by Charles Francis Adams. president
of the Union Pacific Railroad company,
was filed in the office of the interstate COM
merce commission to-day. 1t asks that his
road be relieved from the operation of the
fourth section of the interstate law, as has
already been done in the cases of the other
transcontinental lines. The petition sets
forth that it's through transportation is con-
Quoted under conditions dissimilar from
those surrounding its local business. the
former being subject to competi-
ton with the Canadian Pacific rail-
road, Pacific Mail Steamship line, tramp
steamers and clippers, all of which are be-
yond the control of the commission in max
ing rates. The petition goes on to say that
with its through tariff based on the opera
ton of the long and short haul clause. the
company would lose all or nearly all of its
through business, which would go to the
competitors mentioned; that this result is
inevitable under the law. as a reasonable,
just Intermediate rate forces a substantially
prohibit0ry through rate. A tariff based on
this suppoStion has been in effect since the
law became operative. with the result that
the through business of the road has been
reduced by at least 80 per cent. leaving. in
fact, very little to be done. On the other
hand, it is asserted if the through rate
were made on such basis as is required to
secure substantial part of the business.
and the local rates regulated on the same
basis as required by the fourth section. the
whole earnings of the road would not pay
it's fixed charges. Believing that the CON
ditions are such as to justify it in making
discriminating tariffs AS between short and
long hauls, yet the penalties of the law are
so severe that the petitioner fears to act on
his own judgment, and asks the official
sanction of the commission to a sus-
pension of the fourth section of the law.
The petition continues:
Your petitioner further shows that the
circumstances and conditions above set forth
are applicable not only to the through trans
continental business between points on The
Atlantic coast and points on the Pacific coast,
but also to business with points in the iute-
rior and on the Mississippi and Missouri
rivers, rates of freight to and from which are
governed and controlled by water compe-
ution in the same manner in which
WATER COMPETITION
affects the rates of traffic between ports on
the Atlantic seabord and ports on the Pacific
Gil Bluffs, st. Joseph, Atchison, Kansas City.
Leavenworth on the Missouri and intermedi-
ate points easterly, northwesterIy and south
easterly thereof on the one hand, and points
and places on Puget sound and other places
in Washington territory Victoria in british
Columbia, Portland. Astoria and other points
in Oregon, and San Francisco, Sacramento.
Stockton, Marysville, San Jose, Oakland, Los
Angeles, San Diego and other California
points on the other hand. All the points
hereinbefore designated are suciect to water
competition via the Pacific and Atlantic
oceans the Sacramento, San Joaquin, Mis-
souri, and Mississippi rivers and the great
lakes, and are subject to competitor by water
and railway carriers not restrained by the
interstate commerce law. They are also SUBJ
ject to competition with the Canadian Pacific
line, which, even if deemed to be affected i'm
anywise by the law, he's no considerable inter
mediate traffic to be affected by competitive
rates to the Pacific coast, and hence is
practically unrestrained. As matter of facts
the Canadian Pacific has been taking canned
goods from San Francisco destined to ST "a
Louis and to points as far west as Dodpe
City, Kan. The like circumstances and con-
ditions are also applicable in respect of
foreign business, that is to say, between all
points in Australia, New Zealand, British
India, Japan and the islands of the Pacific.
all points in the United States and Canada
east of the ninety-seventh meridian of lonpi-
tude and between all points in England and
continental Europe on the one hand, and San
Francisco. Sacramento, Stockton, San Jose.
Oakland, Los Angeles and San Diego Cal.
and the Washington territory, Oregon and
British Columbia points hereinbefore men,
toned on the other. A low charge for longer
than for shorter distances is necessary in re-
spect to such foreign business to enable the
United States carriers to compete with for
eign carriers not controlled by the laws, and
likewise necessary to enable United States
.r1t,. fan
compete with foreign markets. The prayer
is therefore made for at least q temporary
suspension of the fourth section in its appli-
cation to the Union Pacific and its associates.